Improvement in vehicle-top supports



H. a. MARLATT & A. W. WRIGHT.

VEHICLE T'O-P SUPPORTS.

No. 136,423. Patented Jan; 23,1577.

JLt9$t Inventors:

iTNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEZEKIAH R. MARLATT AND ALBERT W. WRIGHT, OF WINCHESTER, IND.

IMPROVEMENT IN VEHICLE-TOP SUPPORTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 186,428, dated'January 23, l877 application filed April 21, 1876.

To all whomtt may concern:

' Be it known that we, HEZEKIAH R. MAR- LATT and ALBERT W. WRIGHT, of Winchester, county of Randolph, and State of Indiana, have invented certain Improvements in Vehicle-Top Supports, of which the following is a specification:

Our invention relates to that class of vehicle-top supports wherein an elastic spring is used, being fastened to the rear bow in such a position as to afford a yielding support for the top when thrown back, thereby preventing the breaking of the how by the jarring and vibrating of the top when the vehicle is in motion.

The invention consists in a metallic spring,

connected at either end with loops or clamps,

whereby the whole is attached to the how. The spring rests on the seat-prop when the top is down.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side View, showing the bow with spring in position, the dotted lines showing position when down on seat-prop. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the bow, showing the manner of fastening the loops or clamps. Fig. 3 is a side "iew of a portion of a bow, showing how the springis held at. either end in the straps or loops 0 and B.

A is the bow; D, the spring; H, the seatprop. B and O are the loops. F and F are the bolts or screws, which pass through the ears 8 of the straps toclamp them to the bow.

In the construction of our device the loops can be made of strap metal of any kind, or can be cast, the holes drilled through the ears 8, as shown at F, Fig. 3, and bolts or pins passed through, which hold the loops to the bow, and also retain the spring, which is made with an eye at one end, as shown at F, Fig. 3, the bolt or screw passing through it. The loop 0 has two bolts, F'F, one beneath and the other above the spring. The one next the bow prevents the spring, when in use, from chafing the covering on the bow.

These supports can be applied very readily to any carriage-top. The operation is simply to take the loops and spring them apart till they Will'pass over the bows, then tighten the loop B, which holds the spring in its proper place; then slip the loop 0 along the bow tillthe spring D bears on the bolt F in the proper place; then tighten the screws, and the support is ready for use.

It will be seen that the cars which support the spring must occupy a position. on the outside of the how, so that they cannot abrade theadjacent bow, and that the spring is supported entirely free from contact with the bow or its covering. i

Without claiming the combination of a bow, spring, and securing-straps,

We claim The straps B (J, applied to the how A, with their ears 8 outward, in combination with the spring D,hung to the pin F of one strap, and passing between parallel pins F F of the other strap, as and for the purpose set forth.

HEZEKIAH 1t. MARLATT. ALBERT W. WRIGHT. Witnesses:

R. BOSWORTH, W. R. WAY. 

